Licensing IP embodied in standards

Richard H Stern

1/01/2005
(Original Publish Date: 1999)

How should a standardization body such as the IEEE deal with patents and copyrights on technology essential to using a standard? A recent controversy within the World Wide Web Consortium over a Microsoft patent illustrates the kind of problem that can arise when intellectual property rights cloud users' right of access to a standard. As yet, the IEEE has not developed a coherent policy on this issue; nor, apparently, has any other major standardization body.